Packing and method of making the same



NOV. 5, 1929. n 1 -R, B .KELLQGG 1,734,470

PACKING AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Find July 15. 1925 Patented Nov. 5, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE ROBERT .'B. KELLOGG, 0F LONG BEACH, CALIFGRNIA PACKING AND METHOD 0F MAKING THE SAME :Application iilcd July 15, 1925. Serial No. 43,775.

This invention has to do with packing and Fig. 2 is a sectional view of apparatus that a method of making the same, and it is an may be employed in carrying out the method object of the invention to provide a simple, provided by this invention and showing packpractical and inexpensive packing and mething formed and in process of being formed. od of manufacturing therefor. Fig. 3 is a front orface view of the pack- 55 The packing provided by this invention is ing provided by this invention. useful in various situations and for various Fig. 4.- is an end view of the packing and uses. .It is particularly useful and effective Fig. 5 is asectional view of the packing in packing shafts, tubes, etc., for` example, gland illustrating the manner in which'the condenser tubes. I will, for purpose of expacking may be used. ample, refer to the packing provided by my In accordance with the preferred form of invention as for condenser tubes, as such apmy invention I form the rolled endless fabric plication may be considered typical and as my ring of packing l0 shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of invention overcomes difficulties that have the drawings from a strip 11 of fabric, tububeen experienced in this particular class of lar in form and possessing characteristics packing. However, when I make such spewhich permit of the operations hereinafter cific reference I do not wish to be construed described: In practice I have found it adas limiting the scope or range of application Vantageous to employ a knitted tubular strip of my invention, of fabric 11, such for example, as is common- Numerous forms of packing have been aply employed as lacing. The ordinary tubular plied to condenser tubes, none of them being lacing is knitted so that it can be stretched altogether satisfactory. Some of the most and formed in the manner hereinafter desatisfactory results have been obtained by scribed. The tubular strip of fabric is rolled using strips of fabric in the form of corset from one end until it is in a form such as is lacing; the lacing being wrapped around the shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings and tubing and compressed in the gland. This in the form it is preferably saturated With a has not been completely satisfactory as a strip suitable filling material such, for instance, as of fabric cannot be uniformly applied and beeswax, tallow, etc. The finished packing presents joints and ends which frequently all() comprising the rolled annular body of fablow leakage. ric saturated with the filling material, such 8 It is an obect of my invention to provide a as I have mentioned, is more or less firm, repacking such as a condenser tube packing tains its shape, and yet readily conforms to which overcomes those difficulties commonly the various parts of a packing gland to make experienced with usualforms of packing. a particularly tight, durable joint.

Another object of my invention is to pro- In accordance with the method of manufacvide a fabric packing in the form of ring or turing provided by this invention the strip loop which does not present undesirable joints ll of tubular knitted fabric is slid and someand free ends. what expanded onto a tapered mandrel 12 A further object of this invention is the from the small end of the mandrel and is then provision of a simple, ractical method of rolled toward the large end ofthe mandrel manufacture for the pac ing. as illustrated at A of Fig. 2. The rolling of The objects and, features of my invention the strip of material is continued until the will be best and more fully understood from entire strip of material is 4in the form of a the following detailed description of a typiroll on' the mandrel whereupon itis passed cal form and carrying out of the invention from the large end. of the mandrel onto a 95 throughout which description reference is carrier 13 which operates to hold it in the had to the accompanying drawings in which form that it leaves the mandrel. It would Fig. Lis a perspective view illustrating a be obvious of course, that the large end of the strip or piece of fabric employed in forming mandrel and carrier which receives packings the packing. from the mandrel may be made of such size as to give the finished packings the desired internal diameter and that the size of the packings in cross section will depend upon the length and proportioning of the strip of material from which the packing is formed. In practice the carriers may be in the form of tubing and the mandrel may be provided at its large end with an extension 14 adapted to extend into the end of the tubing to hold the mandrel and tubing in alignment as the rolled packing is being passed from the mandrel onto the tubing.

- To saturate or impregnate the rolled bodies of fabric, suc-h as are illustrated at B in Fig. 2 with the desired material the carriers may be removed from the mandrel and submerge in, or in any. desired manner subjected to, the material. I have found in practice that a mixture of equal parts of tallow and beeswax forms a compound which can be practically applied to the fabric and which gives very satisfactory results. To apply a mixture of tallow and beeswax to the rolled fabrics the carriers may be submerged in a boiling body of the mixture of these substances long enough to allow the mixture to completely penetrate the entire body of fabric. When the carriers are removed from the boiling mixture, the excess mixture/drains oli'. Upon cooling the mixture'throughout, the bodies of fabric congeal, so that the finished packings remain in shape and can be easily handled. It will be obvious, of course, that the mixture or filling material in the fabric although congealed at ordinary temperatures is suliiciently soft to allow the packing to readily conform to the various parts of a packing gland or ther device in which the packing may be use In using the packing which I have described, one or more bodies 10 may be arranged in a packing gland 16 around a tube 17, or the like, between suitable washers 18 and maybe compressed together to tightly pack the gland and the tube through an ordinary compression member 19, such as a ring screw threaded onto the outer part of the gland to engage the outer washer 18. It is to be understood, of course, that this particular application of the packing is merely given for purpose of example, and is not to be understood as limiting in any way the scope or range of application of the packing.

The packing which I have provided ossesses the desirable characteristics of fa ric packings without the undesirable characteristics such as, joints, and free ends. Itis to be noted that the packing is uniform in size at all parts and is such as to uniformly t a packing gland. Further, it is to be noted that the packing is formed entirely of simple, inexpensive and easily obtained materials and that it is in such form and shape as to be easily handled both transported and applied to packing glands.

vend to form a ring substantially Having described only a typical preferred form of my invention I do not wish to limit myself to the specific details set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any changes or variations that may appear to those skilled in the art or fall within the scope of the following claims:

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. Packing including an elongated knitted tubular fabric longitudinally rolled from one round in cross sectional configuration.

.2. Packing including a fabric ring substantially round in cross section and saturated with a compound including beeswax and tallow, the ring being formed of an elongated tubular knitted fabric rolled back upon itself from one end.

3. The method of making packing including rolling an elongated tubular fabric back upon itself from one` end throughout its length, and then applying a lling material to the fabric.

4. The method of ing rolling a length of tubular knitted fabric back upon itself from one end to form an endless ring substantially round in cross sec tion and then saturating the fabric with a filling material.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 17th day of June, 1925.

' ROBERT B. KELLOGG.

making packing includ- 

